Contrary to some estimates, so called Audiophile CD's need not be more expensive to produce than "ordinary" recordings. However, it is frequently more economical to create a multitrack recording with each orchestral section having a dedicated microphone (frequently individual instruments may be assigned a single microphone and separate track) in order to facilitate proper balance in post-session mixdown to twin stereo tracks...thereby saving time during the original recording when the per-hour cost of musicians tends to be high. For various reasons modern recording techniques for Classical Music endeavor to achieve a pleasing overall orchestral balance with as few microphones as possible to better subjectively approximate the concert hall experience in the living room. Classical sessions with as many as 48 channels available will use only two mikes placed in a special array near the conductor for the principle pickup. This seems to achieve a more integrated sound. Numerous additional mikes are used only to "enhance" orchestral resources as required in the final mix. (Woodwind sections frequently do not reproduce in a realistic manner without enhancement during recording.) Acoustical balance has been the most important part of the recording art for 100 years and remains so to this day. Up until recently many engineers preferred to use high tech analog tape recorders with special electronics to achieve highly valued audiophile characteristics accepted by many listeners over the years. Today, high definition digital recording processes with high sampling rates (20 bits per sample) exceed the resolution of analog recording. The current 16 bit compact disk technical standard also limits the resolution of CD. Fortunately, a process by which the greater resolution available from high bit rate master tapes can be selectively assigned to the more critical mid range of hearing is centered primarily on 2000-3500 hertz. This process is called "noise shaping" with marketing terms such as "4D recording" and "super bit mapping" frequently applied. (High resolution digital copies of historic analog recordings successfully use these bit map techniques as well.) Other subjective characteristics employed when making so-called audiophile CD's (i.e., type of microphone) are variably employed by record producers to affect the final out come. However, to accomplish audiophile recordings, these disks need not necessarily cost more than routine recording accept for the cost of high priced artists. Bernard Gregoire Hingham, MA